Concurrent Planning: Multiple Pathways to Permanence Version 2.0, 2010 Module B

1. Concurrent Planning:Multiple Pathways to PermanenceVersion 2.0, 2010Module B

2. Goals for the Training In this training we will: • Focus on practice skills across life of case • Reinforce values related to concurrent planning and permanency • Explore collaboration

3. Learning Objectives Knowledge: • Understand roles in communication and engagement with families • Identify tasks involved in facilitating concurrent planning • Identify strategies to address trauma, grief, and loss • Identify specific practice changes that need to be made Skill: • Demonstrate specific strategies to overcome challenges • Describe and demonstrate full disclosure

4. Facilitation Activities • Early collection of information about Native American heritage, fathers, non-custodial parents and relatives • Full Disclosure • Assessment of strengths and needs • Participatory case planning with early intensive reunification efforts • Relationship building between birth parents and foster parents/relative caregivers • Assessment of substantial probability of reunification

5. Tips for Decreasing Trauma • Take time to explain situation; Provide opportunities for children to reflect and ask questions • Arrange for a goodbye; schedule a visit, phone call; bring comfort items • Talk about placement resources; Facilitate an Icebreaker Meeting between birth and foster parents • Arrange for prompt trauma services • Help substitute caregivers build relationship with children

6. Skill Practice • You will now have an opportunity to practice some of the skills that were just mentioned.

7. Skill Practice • Form triads • 3 people from different perspectives/roles • Role play scenarios: • Completing a genogram to gather information about relatives • Beginning an Icebreaker Meeting • Talking to a child about placement and permanency

8. Discussion • Feedback? • Did you experience any difficulties? • Were there any surprises? • Did you experience any value conflicts?

9. Conflict Resolution • Personal and professional values and roles can lead to opposing views. • Manage power differentials when working in teams. • Conflict can be helpful.

10. Conflict Resolution Tips Before the Interview or Meeting: • Clarify Expectations and Information During the Interview or Meeting: • State goal and ground rules. • Identify need for discussion of disparate opinions. • Address the role of power and authority in the planning process. • Address need to set aside feelings of fear or mistrust. • Encourage expression of emotional reactions, but avoid outbursts. • Engage in a structured planning process. • Steps to resolve conflicts: • Let each person state his/her view briefly. • Use active listening skills. • Don’t try to win a debate, but don’t compromise safety. • Utilize neutral team members. • Consider reasoning behind disparate opinions. • Have participants suggest modifications to their own points of view. • Ask participants if they can accept the team's decision.

11. Training Activity Directions: • Return to groups • Read vignette • Role Play

12. Discussion • What worked? • What didn’t? • Which activities, if any, will you incorporate in your work?

13. What is Full Disclosure? • Requires that family members be provided with information and possible outcomes that will be upsetting • People have a right… • to know potential outcomes of CWS involvement • to participate in planning for their children • Sets the stage for open, honest communication • Increases family motivation to engage quickly in services • Establishes clear expectations for family, social worker • Includes: biological and foster/adoptive parents, children and youth

14. Full Disclosure • What roles do team members have in full disclosure? • (i.e., attorneys, parents advocates, social workers, youth, etc.) • Receiving and Providing Information • How can advocacy impact the full disclosure conversation?

15. Full Disclosure: Important Topics • The rights of the parents, family members and/or youth • Safety concerns and the reason for intervention • Safety, placement, and case planning processes • The MSLC expectation • Family strengths and resources • Legal and policy requirements • The potential outcomes and reunification timelines • Placement options • Relinquishment counseling and services. • Permanency and placement stability for children • The rights of the parents, family members and/or youth • Safety concerns and the reason for the child welfare intervention • The safety planning process, the placement planning process, and the case planning process – describe any specific models used (i.e.; Team Decision Making, Family Group Conferencing) and the role of the family and the social worker in making these decisions and plans • The Minimum Sufficient Level of Care (MSLC) expectation • Family strengths and resources • Legal and policy requirements for placement planning – including the county agency process for approving homes, the hierarchy of preferred placement • The potential outcomes of the child welfare intervention and the timelines for reunification • Placement options – including financial support available to relatives and permanency options for relatives • Availability of relinquishment counseling and relinquishment services. • Importance of permanency and placement stability for children

16. Full Disclosure: 2 Patterns • Pattern 1: Social worker affects tone of the meeting. Empowerment comes from focusing on positive information at beginning and end of meeting. • Pattern 2: Social worker ensures that information flows both ways by providing and seeking information. • State purpose of meeting; Provide positive feedback. • Provide information about rights, safety concerns, etc. • Discuss MSLC. • Provide and solicit information about resources. • Reach consensus on next steps. • Repeat strengths and resources.

17. Full Disclosure:Engagement Skills • Partializing • Open-ended questions • Strengths finding • Mutual respect • Empathy

18. Full Disclosure: Video • Video: • Introducing to a non-custodial parent the idea that s/he can play a significant role in the concurrent planning process. • What are some strengths? • What would you do differently?

19. Full Disclosure: Role Play • Return to triad groups • Read vignette • Two people will role play, one person will observe • Rotate roles until all group members have a chance to both role play and observe

20. Full Disclosure • Importance of team meetings • Include extended family and community supports in decision making process • Team Meeting Models • Permanency Planning Team Decision Making • Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) • Informal team meetings • Empower participants by bringing attention to strengths at the beginning and end of the meeting

21. Full Disclosure • Involving youth, relative caregivers, and foster parents • Right to be informed • Youth’s developmental level determines amount of detail in information given • Consult with trusted relatives or service providers • All involved parties should be on the same page • Speak with caregivers about potential conflicting interests • Sharing information with other service providers

22. Full Disclosure • What has been your experience with concurrent planning?

23. Full Disclosure • Role Play: Mock Team Meeting • Directions • Return to triads • Form a group of 6 with one other triad • Read vignette • Role Play

24. Concurrent PlanningThroughout the Life of a Case • Goal: Timely permanency • Begins immediately • Continues until permanency is established. • Be open to new permanency options • Important events in concurrent planning:

25. Common Barriers • Poor communication • Lack of: • collaboration • early, accurate assessment of needs • involvement of service providers • identified concurrent goal • Ambivalence about simultaneously working on 2 goals • Fear of tension between team members and parents • Concerns about concurrent planning requiring children to feel disloyal to their parents • Use concurrent placement only after reunification period

26. Decision Points Directions: • Read vignette • Work in table groups • Identify concurrent planning best practices that could have been applied to vignette to change outcome

27. Action Plan Directions: • Form affinity groups • (all social workers together, all foster parents together, etc.) • Work in table groups • Suggest action steps for 2 case situations • Chart suggestions

28. Action Plan • Develop action plan • Use strengths and needs to improve concurrent planning practice